Applying a Lifespan Developmental Perspective to Chronic Pain: Pediatrics to Geriatrics

Gary A Walco; Elliot J Krane; Kenneth E Schmader; Debra K Weiner

doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2015.11.003

Applying a Lifespan Developmental Perspective to Chronic Pain: Pediatrics to Geriatrics

J Pain. 2016 Sep;17(9 Suppl):T108-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.11.003.

Authors

Gary A Walco¹, Elliot J Krane², Kenneth E Schmader³, Debra K Weiner⁴

Affiliations

¹ Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: gary.walco@seattlechildrens.org.
² Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California; Stanford Children's Health, Palo Alto, California.
³ Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; GRECC, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
⁴ VA Pittsburgh Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Departments of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Anesthesiology, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

PMID: 27586828
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.11.003

Abstract

An ideal taxonomy of chronic pain would be applicable to people of all ages. Developmental sciences focus on lifespan developmental approaches, and view the trajectory of processes in the life course from birth to death. In this article we provide a review of lifespan developmental models, describe normal developmental processes that affect pain processing, and identify deviations from those processes that lead to stable individual differences of clinical interest, specifically the development of chronic pain syndromes. The goals of this review were 1) to unify what are currently separate purviews of "pediatric pain," "adult pain," and "geriatric pain," and 2) to generate models so that specific elements of the chronic pain taxonomy might include important developmental considerations.

Perspective: A lifespan developmental model is applied to the forthcoming Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks-American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy to ascertain the degree to which general "adult" descriptions apply to pediatric and geriatric populations, or if age- or development-related considerations need to be invoked.

Keywords: Pain; children; elderly; geriatrics; life-span development; pediatrics.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Aging*
Chronic Pain* / diagnosis
Chronic Pain* / epidemiology
Chronic Pain* / therapy
Geriatrics*
Human Development
Humans
Pain Management
Pediatrics*